A09970:214
The golden sceptre held forth to the humble With the Churches dignityThe golden scepter held forth to the humble VVith the Churches dignitie
The golden sceptre held forth to the humble With the Churches dignity by her marriage. And the Churches duty in her carriage. In three treatises. The former delivered in sundry sermons in Cambridge, for the weekly fasts, 1625. The two latter in Lincolns Inn. By the late learned and reverend divine, John Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplain in ordinary to His Majesty, Mr. of Emanuel College in Cambridge, and sometime preacher at Lincolns Inn.The golden scepter held forth to the humble VVith the Churches dignitie by her marriage. And the Churches dutie in her carriage. In three treatises. The former delivered in sundry sermons in Cambridge, for the weekely fasts, 1625. The two latter in Lincolnes Inne. By the late learned and reverend divine, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to His Maiesty, Mr. of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and somtime preacher at Lincolnes Inne.
London: printed by R. Badger for N. Bourne, 1638
THE GOLDEN SCEPTRE. › Doctrine 4THE GOLDEN SCEPTER. › Doctrine 4
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
He that is truly humbled will be content with any condition, as the Prodigal son, I am content 1to be as an hired servant, says he, and am unworthy to be called a son any more; he was content to do the work of a servant, to live in the condition of a servant, to have the lowest place in all the family: And so Saint Paul looked on himself as the least of all the Saints, thought he could never lay himself low enough. Now this contentedness is exercised about two things.
Hee that is truly humbled will bee content with any condition, as the Prodigall sonne, I am content 1to be as an hired servant, sayes hee, and am unworthy to bee called a sonne any more; hee was content to doe the worke of a servant, to live in the condition of a servant, to have the lowest place in all the familie: And so Saint Paul look'd on himselfe as the least of all the Saints, thought hee could never lay himselfe low enough. Now this contentednesse is exercised about two things.
- 15 To be content with any condition.
In a contentedness in the want of these outward 1good things; when a man is content with the meanest services and the least wages, to want wealth, and credit and gifts, as Jacob being truly humbled, I am less than the least of thy mercies: whereas an other man that is not humbled, when he looks upon himself and GODS mercies he enjoys, he thinking highly of himself, thinks himself too big for them, and that the disproportion is rather on his side; whereas Jacob though he then had many mercies, yet said, take the least mercy, and lay it in one scale, and my self in an other, and I am too light for it, less than it, and it too much for me.